catcalls n.j. set the turn for cia hopeful john brennan's confirmation hearing for the bombers hand-picked man seemingly sped tougher questions over drones torture and targeted executions. tens of thousands marched on spain's streets amid calls for the government to go after a fresh round of budget cuts sees a spike in university fees and the end of free prescription drugs for pensioners. is stretched to breaking point as the country gears up for more protests and strikes on the day of the funeral of the opposition leader whose murder has unleashed a new anti government sentiment. and a draft a bill in the u.k. aims to open up private online communications to the forty's there are concerns it's taking national security a step too far. around

the world around the clock twenty four hours a day of course this is our to carry just. now it wasn't quite the grilling that many had predicted as president obama's choice to head the cia face the senate in his confirmation hearing this session began with taunts and is before the protestors were removed well lawmakers then prodded john brennan on themes ranging from torture to drones but appear to be somewhat timid in their attack. reports now on the questions that were not asked. what most people expected to hear was how does the u.s. government make decisions as to who should be on their kill list and mr brennan would certainly be the most appropriate person to ask because he is known to have been in charge of the kill list and he's known as the architect of the administration's targeted assassinations program so the question of who the drones

are targeting was critical and one of the senators asked john brennan whether there should be at least some judicial oversight over those executions by drones and here's what he said none of those actions or to determine past guilt for those actions that he took the decisions that are made or to take action so that we prevent a future action to protect american lives so the rationale that john brennan gave for not going to court is that the administration is not in the business of punishing individuals but it's in the business of preventing attacks and he basically says the u.s. government could execute people for who or what they haven't done yet and you would expect follow up questions from lawmakers as to how the administration determines the level of threat as these people constitute let's imagine an angry yemeni man who writes in his blog bag he hates america as you can see is wife died in a drone strike and he wants to take revenge is that enough to justify him being killed by

a drone there are so many questions about how the administration decides to put someone on their kill list and yet there was not near another grilling on the part of the senators to get specific answers prior to the hearing a memo was released which the justice department handed over to congress and according to the memo the government can kill people overseas even without evidence that they are actively plotting against the u.s. the paper states that the u.s. would be able to kill a u.s. citizen or non-citizen overseas when it's an informed high level of social of the u.s. government determines that target is an imminent threat to them here for also suggest that such decisions would not be subject to judicial review and outlines a broad definition of what constitutes imminent threat. at the very beginning of the hearing as john brennan was delivering his remarks he was interrupted five times or so by protesters who stood up and expressed shouted out whether their opposition to those executions senators had to take a recess for the protesters to be removed from the hearing and these protests are

steered by numerous reports that the drone strikes kill innocent people as well not just suspected terrorists everybody expected tough questions on drugs but that did not happen john brennan got away with very broad answers like the program if saving lives and that you should take the administration's word for it but a private haring now wait strong brennan in order to find out technicalities but given his the performance at the senate scholar and author of exporting made in america democracy colin campbell says it's a coup to set a dangerous precedent this is a complete of our constitutional rights under the fourteenth amendment do grant so those are more an equal protection of the law and you are with the ministry she is doing here is they're usurping the constitutional right united to the american citizens and so we can be judge jury and executioner we can show american

citizens abroad without them having their court we can say they are jurors and we can go there and the dangerousness is one hundred good ministrations says we can determine who the jurors did and that means that you know we were hurt in any american citizen without any drugs without any problem and that is a very dangerous precedent. drone warfare its consequences and the morality of it all are up for debate in crosstalk today coming up but twelve thirty g.m.t. we hear how drone strikes may be breeding the very terror they seek to destroy. this point arithmetic in africa but it's getting worse i mean there's a new new drawn be a snow in nigeria close to mali so that you've got the west of african i as well and so it's trucking up so that we're going to have drawn b.s.

is all over africa and i'm not sure what to survive really why are we doing this well isn't it. reason she's the most effective recruitment tool for insurgents in the world david what do you think about that drones are an improvement on torture drones are in a movement of a ground war theater the arguments were being given and yet we didn't have a ground war in yemen we might need one eventually after the damage the drone strikes are doing but this is we're being told that this type of murder is better then other human rights abuses. or the last week has seen three major confirmation hearings with the senate seeming to flip flop on its views well web search we have more on how the three candidates might change america's foreign policy. sent each is have taken to the streets of spain one of the largest day of protests so far and it calls for the government to step aside spain's public sector is facing

fresh cuts with a hit to education expected to be nearly five billion euros poor shrit producer at artie's abruptly agency spoke to some of the demonstrators. hundreds of people are gathered here in madrid to complain about cuts in education they are mostly students parents of students and teachers but the education is not their only concern they're also demanding the resignation of the government the government of money i know the whole has been accused of receiving bribes from private companies and opening bank accounts in switzerland look at other people you can see burton's saying calling spain the last vegas of the european union and also complaining about the lack of democracy that people are protesting and there is no solution to their complaints the salary of a teacher. if i have to pay a mortgage and everything i kind of send two kids to university i will have the money and how he's privatization in the educational sector hourman education in

spain well they see everything us business know that no matter what you do it ok sure should be an occasion for people to make money out of it today don't see it as a public service or not you know the whole service is the same they save you get to leave you have a problem you are a customer and you are your god they're going to make money out of you it's just a rush and they did their money and everything to their budgets we have. no provision for the public system this has become a trademark of sonny's the most gracious after every march the sweeping trucks come rapidly and sweep all the streets leaving no evidence that there was a demonstration against the government. budgets have battle in brussels as a fresh e.u. summit kicks off to the books traditionally like powerhouses all seeing eye to why . leading calls for cuts to the budget of france accuses the u.k.

of focusing on that just ahead. to news there is bracing itself for a third straight day of street battles friday sees the funeral of a key opposition figure. his assassination became a catalyst for the latest wave of anti-government fury the country's trade unions have also called a general strike to protest against. it some normally is most leadership there to show police used tear gas more troops and to protest his chanting anti-government slogans were trying to approach the country's interior ministry in the capital tunis party's phone crews also called. rufe national polls. temperatures are still very high and tensions are still at a very dangerous the very risky level the level that is threatening and challenging the security instability in this country trade has happened continuing throughout thursday we've seen many many people on the streets it's been many clashes between police and opposition supporters stand again police have been using tear gas

against protesters my crew and me we've been attacked by a group of youngsters beast tell us just because we filmed them and that tells a lot about the situation on the ground we've been hearing about similar violence and similar disturbances throughout the country especially in the southern part of tunisia where they had supporters of the ruling party have been vandalized the protests may go even more violent intentions may go even further but there has been attempts to ease the tensions in the country from prime minister the idea was to form the government that will not be affiliated to any political party no possible government but the islamist party dominated tunisia's governing coalition rejected . ministers decision we can understand the reason and internal political crisis it's definitely will be very hard for this country to overcome this crisis. georgia's a part of the president out of power to see preventing him from making his i will

address his term in office doesn't end until october there will come support of the crackdown on the center of human rights abuses the details coming out. sufiah works on a spectacular garner show roundoff a day of celebration russia's black sea resort of sochi where he won the year or two of the most expensive winter olympics ever. u.k. government is trying to get its hands on privately where the information is drawn up a document referred to by some as the snoopers charter which looks to give authorities more rights to spy on its citizens online with despite concerns over invasion of privacy welty sarah first looked at whether such measures could enhance national security. the main area of concern surrounds this the draft communications data bill and proposals that critics say could see the public left wide open to having their facebook accounts or twitter e-mails read anything that they visit online the

websites that they gayety logs by the government now understandably those plans simply have a hugely controversial with critics labeling it the sneak is charter now perhaps more concerning is the latest report by the intelligence and security committee made like to see a nationwide surveillance regime implemented now the government say that they need to do this to catch criminals and stop terrorism but there's lots of the members of the public saying where are safeguards when it comes to what we do online most osieck more about this i'm now joined by professor and sneakily to the director studies security and intelligence studies at the university of akron thank you very much for joining us you're in support of the draft communications data verbal i heard you describe yourself at a recent talk stunk at the picnic if these fees and these proposals are so unpopular why are the government pushing them through all the time when government

is pushing them through because the government realizes that they're needed some thirty million people use the internet to communicate with each other each day in the united kingdom people in this country fully accept that for more than a hundred years. their telephone conversations are likely to be mine if they're seen as a national security risk so it's completely absurd to think that there should be this new form of communications that should somehow be exempt from these sorts of measures ok peace a burger furrowing need need a warrant with the proposals the i did the perhaps my information to find members. public i'm doing nothing well why should my emails you know place in my twitter account be a friend to investigate well it's important to realize this is not a charter to mine everyone it's

a charter to mine anyone against there is intelligence of being a serious risk to our national security a mom or another related said members of the public would still be kept we're talking well what the government is asking the internet service providers to do is to retain data that at the moment they're just getting rid of so if there is a suspicion that a particular person is engaged in serious organized crime sex trafficking so terrorism the government can then institute a pro as a member of the public was like oh my e-mails for well if you don't want your e-mails. if you want complete privacy don't write any letters to your friends don't speak to them on the telephone and don't send them photographs of yourself in joking that can very much for joining us to fester and see if the has that is the solution maybe is the time for a big log of things hey someone is actually watching surface london.

our image is everything even amid the continuing economic crisis even leaders plan to spend millions on an online propaganda blitz but in hunting the books reputation the use of social media oh we'll have more on that story and much more when we come back. well with. science technology innovation all the leaves developments from around russia we've got the future covered. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realized everything you thought you knew. i'm sorry welcome to the big picture.

if you. believe. in you know the it is have started tough negotiations over the blocks next budget about it for seven years from twenty fourteen a financial wrestling comes with u.k. prime minister david cameron in one corner meeting coles from a just spending cuts and crisis hit countries in the other well to explain what

else makes the talk so complex. we've seen some of the leaders who had arrived here already making strong statements first of all david cameron continuously saying that if the budget is not brought down to a level that he is happy with there will be no deal we've heard from countries who are saying that they may use their veto if they are not happy such as the czech republic to simplify the vickery going on right now it would be between a northern and southern a country as you can see the wealthier nations versus those that actually depend more on the e.u. funding and on the one hand you have countries like the u.k. germany the netherlands denmark these countries are supporting harsher cuts to the e.u. budget david cameron being the most radical and controversial taking this step now he has been demanding since november last year in two thousand and twelve that was the first try today is the second try and since that until now he's been demanding for cuts in brussels bureaucracy for instance but on the other side you have those

countries who are dependent on these forums and one of the loudest voices on this is of france also the u.k. is coming into this summit this is the first time since david cameron announced that in or out referendum that he said that he would pose the question of whether he should remain in the e.u. twenty seven if he's reelected in twenty fifteen of course this is a possibility of a creating even more tension in the u.k. with the cost benefit of actually being a member of the e.u. interpreted by the other members as not being a team player in this regard and also as this talk is happening talking about budget cuts on the e.u. level we see the budget cuts on a more local ground level we've seen the protests continuing even until today people very angry at the cuts imposed on them on their livelihoods of their pensions are on their potential jobs while the e.u. cannot agree upon a budget of their own. all right said that image is everything in politics and in

times of austerity the e.u. is eager to do whatever it takes to maintain a good reputation even if it means spending big two million euros have apparently been earmarked to spend on a p.r. war with online euro skeptics nigel farage from the u.k. independence party himself or euro skeptic think such actions show the bloc is unfit for purpose but they decided that they're going to train in how staff in the run up to the european elections are twenty fourteen train those people to go online to look at facebook twitter other social media sites and to correct that's their word not mine to correct any misapprehensions that may exist about the european union and i have to say the fact that it's a parliament that is doing this that is using taxpayers' money to do this says a lot about the institutions that all brought about parliaments is the person is

it's him a chair of parliament he's the speaker in westminster he's the chairman in other parliaments around the world but he and all the rest of the staff are supposed to be neutral they're not supposed to take any political position at all and the fact of the parliament has decided it's going to spend money time and resources doing this shows you that frankly they're no better than a banana republic this is all the mcgarvie would do or someone like that so i think many people outside would be shocked by it having worked there myself for thirteen years i'm not surprised at all they are really really scared they're scared that from north to south to east to west all over the european union citizens are saying we've never voted for this thing to become the united states of europe we've never asked to have the majority of our laws made somewhere else and we want to do something about it so they're scared and they're fighting back. online if you today

a key document in russia's recent history disappears you caught it declaring the break up and going to reduce its working theories that the flight stand. lifeforms scientists claim that our galaxy contains billions of potentially habitable planets more about that. the georgian parliament has postponed the president saakashvili his annual address of his party now minority refused to agree to constitutional amendments removing his rights to fire the government the president's party lost its grip on power in a recent parliamentary vote following a crackdown on protests claims of human rights abuses against political prisoners. alexia ski has been hearing some firsthand accounts. georgia has performed miracles we moved from being a failed state will be one of the top business destinations in the world while it

would be high to graphic comic freedom according to the world bank i'll be number one fighter with corruption even worldwide demand people started to believe in the stations people started to believe the mockers it was because it is giorgio really a beacon of democracy and freedom not from your viewpoint when he's universities rectory refused to build a prayer room he helped organize a ten thousand strong peaceful student rally but it ended with his arrest and sentenced to four and a half years my daughter says you know you. could just walk into our cell and start beating us for no reason the even put twenty year old students in wheelchairs and prison one of the inmates went insane because they showed him footage of how his wife was being raped. your he thought he was spending his time with murderers and drug barons and stan he found himself among academics architects and righteous all jailed for having a different opinion to the country's leadership. works as an advisor to the

minister of the penitentiary system and used to be classmates with saakashvili she believes the astonishing number of prisoners in georgia during his reign was to a large extent personally driven. he had often been joked out in school he directed his revenge against his former classmates when he became president most of them were either stripped of their businesses are put to prison in his presidency we've had twenty five thousand people in jail. shocking video of prisoner abuse in georgia in jails went viral and effectively diminished the president's party support by more than a half which lost both the election and control over the country it's not yet known where the second street will face prosecution of the prison torture allegations for two hundred political prisoners a change of power a man with a chance to walk free because saakashvili will formally remain as georgia's president until october by. powers have already been transferred to the prime minister is even issued has already declared a national wide amnesty of political prisoners but experts say their resources

zation may take several more years. r.t. reporting from belief in georgia. and i will look at some other international news in brief this hour two back to back explosions have ripped through a busy baghdad reportedly killing at least twenty six people one of the bombs was hidden in a box at a pet market the other was in a parked car targeting a busy city areas on fridays which is the start of the news and weekend has become a widespread terror tactic with insurgents. the ferry carrying around one hundred passengers has gone down in a river in central bank reports suggest that more than forty people have been rescued from ashore but scores remain missing with no immediate reports of casualties very accidents are common in bangladesh treated poorly maintained their souls and it's regulations. after

a day of picture perfect celebrations work in russia's winter olympics host city of sochi is in full swing once again the festive spirit spread not only across russia reached as far as the u.n. headquarters in new york as it marked one year until the games. former wraps up the movement. of the six kids apprenticed instruction nothing so he sent on time straight into getting prepared for these games that last night some upbeat one year to get it done it was a lavish ceremony here that really caught the fireworks so so to say to shed. light on the big business putting a building you can see behind me that was all very impressive can't control say well switched on across structure and it's mentioned there are a touchy feely experienced people each man building. if your fancy kids come on sile now the cheapest ones you can pick up some fifteen dollars if you get the. video should come pick up the tickets want to get or make something up to the

hundred dollars i have been in the last thirty days i'll be very impressed by it see the postman benny's in the morning ninety's staggering c.v. makes me feel perhaps the most wanted to consider not was the last guy sorry the ski jumping center up in the mountains which translates to some. they are slightly behind schedule and the budget. in the rush to get it over all the message is very positive this is needed except you don't just make it on the back seat you keep spinning and that just mean it's against fifteen degrees this will be the first one to be no longer going to be it's once told me people will really enjoy it because it's likely to get around and really pick up these streams. and grand old pennies that within about twenty minutes basically make you watch something on the arch so keep the killing you escape from

the event and then if you want to see the same day you can get on the train within thirty minutes you'd be up in the mountains to watch the outline of the. but still uneasy this salad next stay with us for it's a suspension of. saudi arabia has ordered its retailers to construct one point six metre tall barriers in the middle of their stores a rather unusual demand is that something related to everyone's favorite buzzword terrorism no it is to keep male and female coworkers separate saudi arabia is pretty infamous in the west for its laws regarding the sexes and their.